#YesAllWomen – A modern day feminist response to tragedy

Posted: Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

By now, you’ve probably heard about the horrific act of violence carried out by Elliot Rodger this past weekend in Santa Barbara. Before he committed his awful crimes, Rodger took to the internet to leave behind a video and manifesto, which detail his deep-rooted anti-woman views.

His words sparked the creation of the hashtag #YesAllWomen. #YesAllWomen pointed out that while not all men commit acts of violence, all women have experienced them – from catcalls to rape. And unfortunately, taking measures to protect oneself from violence is part of a woman’s daily life.

As we mentioned in our recent blog post, social media can be instrumental in spreading awareness about this issue, and can engage others to voice their support for ending violence against women. #YesAllWomen is a perfect example of that.

Here are some of the examples of #YesAllWomen tweets that are trending and are shining a light on how violence against women affects us all:

#YesAllWomen have a right to their peace of mind & body. And that includes the right to not be stalked or killed by men who they may reject. - @IAmSophiaNelson

#YesAllWomen because no woman should have to worry for their safety and/or life when walking down the street. - @lucid_faerie

Because shelters are over capacity... and those were the women able to leave their abusers. #YesAllWomen - @DaniellaMailing

Just because YOU aren't affected by sexism doesn't mean it doesn't exist. #YesAllWomen” - @teamhealthnut

#YesAllWomen is an important conversation to have – one that we need to continue long after the hashtag is no longer trending. Find out how you can take action and join us as we work toward ending violence against women.